Cox Media Group has dropped its year-old alternative rock experiment X107.1 today at 5 p.m. in favor of a simulcast of country station WNGC-FM at 106.1 out of Athens.
By adding the 107.1 signals in Rome and Atlanta, the station will now cover most of metro Atlanta and compete more directly with 94.9/The Bull and Kicks 101.5.
In terms of geography covered, this station will be one of the largest in the Southeast for country music, said Scott Smith, market manager for Cox Media Group in Athens and Gainesville. He said you’ll be able to hear it from East Point to Calhoun, from Roswell to Toccoa.
X107.1 pulled in modest ratings during its brief run, playing a lighter version of alternative rock than Radio 105.7, owned by IHeartMedia. After peaking with a 0.9 share last November, the station fell to a 0.5 in May.
The final songs heard on the FM dial as X107.1, for the record: Of Monsters and Men’s “Little Talks,” Saint Motel’s “My Type” and Peaches‘ “In the Valley Below.”
At 5 p.m. in midsong, listeners began hearing Lady Antebellum’s ‘Downtown” followed by Zac Brown Band’s“Homegrown,” Tyler Farr’s “Whiskey in the Water,” Florida Georgia Line’s “Anything Goes,” “My Town” byMontgomery Gentry, Tim McGraw’s “Shotgun Rider” and Michael Ray’s “Kiss You in the Morning.” In other words, the music mix is mostly current based and similar to the playlists on Kicks and the Bull.
WNGC 106.1, which previously only covered the northeast quadrant of metro Atlanta, drew a 0.6 share in the most recent Nielsen Audio ratings.
Moby, whose morning show had been syndicated on WNGC for several years, will no longer be on that station now that it’s Your Georgia Country.
Why? Rome Radio Partners in Rome airs Moby in the Rome area on country station South 93.5, which used to be South 107.1 until Cox took over that signal. If Cox had aired him on 107.1, that would have been a contractual conflict. This move reduces Moby to eight stations nationwide.
Your Georgia Country will use a man named Walker for mornings from 5 to 9 a.m. He was born and raised in Cobb County. JR is the jock from 9 to noon. Former Q100 mid-day host Jeff Miles will be on from noon to 3 p.m. Pete de Graaff , who has been with WNGC since 2010, has the 3 to 7 p.m. shift. Georgia native Charly will man evenings from 7 p.m. to midnight.
The station will now officially call itself “106.1 and 107.1 Your Georgia Country.” Smith said the need for a memorable name (such as Kicks or Bull) is less important now that listener’s ratings are collected electronically and not by recall.
This means four country stations can be heard in town, including Nash ICON at 98.9, which plays some older country and is owned by Atlanta-based Cumulus.
WNGC and WSB-TV are both operated by Cox Media Group.
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